Introduction to Ethiopian Natural Yirgacheffe Aricha G1 Specialty Coffee Beans: Varieties, Growing Regions, and Market Prices

Coffee Details

Variety: Heirloom

Producer: Kebel Aricha

Flavor: Light fermented wine aroma, sweet citrus, spices, honey sweetness

About Project Origin

Sasa Sestic, the 2015 World Barista Champion, launched Project Origin with his business team at ONA Coffee three years ago. This green-coffee sourcing project works directly with coffee-farming families in some of the world's poorest regions, improving their production conditions and paying 20% above fair-trade prices.

The project also aims to strengthen the bond between roasters and growers, guiding farmers toward higher-quality production. To date, Sasa has built relationships with coffee growers in eight countries, including Brazil, Panama, India, Ethiopia, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.

Flavor Profile

A light fermented wine aroma opens the cup, followed by jujube, sweet citrus, dark berries, lychee, starfruit, peach, and the aroma of longan and red dates, with honeyed sweetness and cocoa laced with subtle spice. Full-bodied, with a long-lasting finish.

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee

Address: No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou

Ingredients: House-roasted

Shelf Life: 30 days

Net Weight: 227g

Package Type: Bulk

Taste Profile: Acidity-forward

Bean State: Roasted coffee beans

Sugar Content: Sugar-free

Origin: Ethiopia

Coffee Type: Yirgacheffe

Roast Level: Light roast

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Aricha G1

Country: Ethiopia

Grade: G1

Region: Yirgacheffe, Gedeo

Altitude: 1,900–2,100 meters

Process: Natural

This lot was produced at the Kebel Aricha washing and drying station, where roughly 650–700 smallholder farmers from the surrounding area deliver ripe cherries for processing and are paid in cash. After the station sorts the cherries, they go straight onto raised drying beds. For the first few days, workers turn the cherries every 2–3 hours to prevent uneven heating and over-fermentation. After four to six weeks of natural drying — depending on weather and temperature — the dried fruit layer is stripped off mechanically, and the beans are trucked to Addis Ababa for storage. Natural lots are typically held in their parchment until just before export to protect green-bean quality.

This natural Aricha has been graded G1, the highest grade on the ECX scale, and its quality shows at every step — from green-bean appearance, uniformity, and freshness to dry fragrance and flavor. If bright acidity and lush berry flavors are your thing, this is one coffee you should not miss.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Yirgacheffe, a small town in Ethiopia's Sidamo region, sits between 1,700 and 2,100 meters, with most coffee planted above 1,800 meters — among the highest growing elevations in the world. If you love the natural style of this Aricha, FrontStreet's natural Red Cherry Yirgacheffe is the natural companion piece: it uses only fully ripe, defect-free cherries that are sorted at the station, sun-dried on raised beds, and turned every 2–3 hours during the first days to prevent over-fermentation, then dried for three to five weeks before the fruit layer is removed. Because the cherries dry with their pulp intact, the cup keeps classic Yirgacheffe character while gaining tropical fruit — citrus-like acidity, a berry-juice juiciness, honeyed sweetness, and a cream-smooth body. For a cleaner everyday option, FrontStreet's washed Yirgacheffe — white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a tea-like finish — remains one of the best-value entries into Ethiopian coffee.